Public land deer - 53 years ago.

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Originally Posted by Finnwolf

53 years ago I shot my first deer too!
And used a 222 but it was a Sako.

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Great memories eh. I had shot a few ( 12 maybe) before the deer in the pics but they were the first ones I sold.

Yeah, for some reason we thought the 222 was magic :)

I remember the Lochinvar blokes but the Wainui Trust doesn't ring a bell.
There was another station there, can't remember its name - but very well known. It was just to the south of Clements Road and I think was owned by the Mormon's back then, and that got spotlighted a lot. If they caught you on there they smashed your gun, gave you a hiding and threw you over the boundary fence.
I never went on there, but I do remember spotting to the north of the mill one night. It was all low scrubby shit in there and tussock with a lot of flat bottom gulleys and there were deer down in them, mobs of them.
Got lost that night, so I built a small mountain of scrub and tussock as tall as I was and crawled in the middle of it. I was never warm but I did manage to get some sleep and in the morning I crawled out to find a hell of a frost.

I was camped in one of the mill houses and they were proper houses with rooms and still in pretty good nick with beds, tables, chairs, coalranges, pots, pans and cutlery and the communal 'shitter' was a tin hut with a chimney vent thirty yards away.
My neighbour (Albert Mitchell) would spot me sneaking out to the shitter, give me a minute ot two to get settled - then put a bullet through the vent. He always did it, found it tremendously funny - and I'd sit there scrunched down low as I could on the throne as that vent wasn't all that high.
I got on pretty good with Albert, he was twenty years older than me and knew a hell of a lot more, but he could be scary sometimes. He had forearms like Popeye and I saw him pull a knife on a bloke at the pub and he got crowned with a beer jug real quick.
Then he saw a squirrel which I found funny, and that made him angry - threatened to put a bullet in me if he spotted me in the bush ........... and I wasn't entirely sure if he would, or wouldn't.
Was in the pub one day and one of the Barry's mentioned he'd heard about it ............
"What're you gonna do ?"
"Dunno ?"
"I'd bugger off if I was you, he's a bit loose,"

So, a couple of days later I buggered off ..............

Then a few months later I went back - was sort of a 'more-ish' place ..............

And Albert was still there .........

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Originally Posted by SF90

I remember the Lochinvar blokes but the Wainui Trust doesn't ring a bell.
There was another station there, can't remember its name - but very well known. It was just to the south of Clements Road and I think was owned by the Mormon's back then, and that got spotlighted a lot. If they caught you on there they smashed your gun, gave you a hiding and threw you over the boundary fence.
I never went on there, but I do remember spotting to the north of the mill one night. It was all low scrubby shit in there and tussock with a lot of flat bottom gulleys and there were deer down in them, mobs of them.
Got lost that night, so I built a small mountain of scrub and tussock as tall as I was and crawled in the middle of it. I was never warm but I did manage to get some sleep and in the morning I crawled out to find a hell of a frost.

I was camped in one of the mill houses and they were proper houses with rooms and still in pretty good nick with beds, tables, chairs, coalranges, pots, pans and cutlery and the communal 'shitter' was a tin hut with a chimney vent thirty yards away.
My neighbour (Albert Mitchell) would spot me sneaking out to the shitter, give me a minute ot two to get settled - then put a bullet through the vent. He always did it, found it tremendously funny - and I'd sit there scrunched down low as I could on the throne as that vent wasn't all that high.
I got on pretty good with Albert, he was twenty years older than me and knew a hell of a lot more, but he could be scary sometimes. He had forearms like Popeye and I saw him pull a knife on a bloke at the pub and he got crowned with a beer jug real quick.
Then he saw a squirrel which I found funny, and that made him angry - threatened to put a bullet in me if he spotted me in the bush ........... and I wasn't entirely sure if he would, or wouldn't.
Was in the pub one day and one of the Barry's mentioned he'd heard about it ............
"What're you gonna do ?"
"Dunno ?"
"I'd bugger off if I was you, he's a bit loose,"

So, a couple of days later I buggered off ..............

Then a few months later I went back - was sort of a 'more-ish' place ..............

And Albert was still there .........

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Poronui

Sent from my SM-A135F using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by SF90

I remember the Lochinvar blokes but the Wainui Trust doesn't ring a bell.
There was another station there, can't remember its name - but very well known. It was just to the south of Clements Road and I think was owned by the Mormon's back then, and that got spotlighted a lot. If they caught you on there they smashed your gun, gave you a hiding and threw you over the boundary fence.
I never went on there, but I do remember spotting to the north of the mill one night. It was all low scrubby shit in there and tussock with a lot of flat bottom gulleys and there were deer down in them, mobs of them.
Got lost that night, so I built a small mountain of scrub and tussock as tall as I was and crawled in the middle of it. I was never warm but I did manage to get some sleep and in the morning I crawled out to find a hell of a frost.

I was camped in one of the mill houses and they were proper houses with rooms and still in pretty good nick with beds, tables, chairs, coalranges, pots, pans and cutlery and the communal 'shitter' was a tin hut with a chimney vent thirty yards away.
My neighbour (Albert Mitchell) would spot me sneaking out to the shitter, give me a minute ot two to get settled - then put a bullet through the vent. He always did it, found it tremendously funny - and I'd sit there scrunched down low as I could on the throne as that vent wasn't all that high.
I got on pretty good with Albert, he was twenty years older than me and knew a hell of a lot more, but he could be scary sometimes. He had forearms like Popeye and I saw him pull a knife on a bloke at the pub and he got crowned with a beer jug real quick.
Then he saw a squirrel which I found funny, and that made him angry - threatened to put a bullet in me if he spotted me in the bush ........... and I wasn't entirely sure if he would, or wouldn't.
Was in the pub one day and one of the Barry's mentioned he'd heard about it ............
"What're you gonna do ?"
"Dunno ?"
"I'd bugger off if I was you, he's a bit loose,"

So, a couple of days later I buggered off ..............

Then a few months later I went back - was sort of a 'more-ish' place ..............

And Albert was still there .........

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Owned by Joe Collins parents.

Yep - Poronui :)

And I don't know if Joe Collins rings a bell or not ................. ?

And yep - it does ring a bell - and I don't know why ?

these are all magic memories to hear guys- I went to school in Taupo in the 70s and 80s, some of these names mentioned I've heard of through others in Taupo. I went to Intermediate in Taupo early 80s same time as Joe Keeleys daughter when he was killed. Joe Collins was a pilot wasn't he also? When I started building apprenticeship in 96 we built Blake house for the then owners of Poronui "the Blakes" from the states down the end of the valley, big fucken house you can see from the poled route. When we were building the roof framing the then station manager Steve Yerex got Helisika(I think Shamus Howard was there then) to fly him around in front of the house shot gunning as many deer as they could over 2 mornings- deer were eating the expensive newly planted natives , think they shot maybe 12 or 14 just below the house in the low scrub which I videoed from the roof. Daily van rides in there to work usually saw 5 to 30 deer on the road each way. Had a big big 8 stop us on the road one Easter Friday or Saturday when me and mate were driving in to do cash job building the huge riverstone walls around the house for the blocklayer Bruce Daley- coulda shot that deer 20 x over, but just had a steak knife :). Chris Short was doin pest control there at the time too- good fella he was. Magic memories.

You ever thought about writing a book @Tahr ? I’d certainly buy it.

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Originally Posted by hebe

You ever thought about writing a book @Tahr ? I’d certainly buy it.

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Same

I’d buy a few for friends and family

First deer we sold was at Mahi, driving back out in Vauxhall with no exhaust. I’d just left school and Dad had given me £20 for the holiday with two mates. We had toured the length of the North Island and we’re heading home to Masterton. Seven deer on the side of the road, we bowled one and sold it to a buyer for, from memory, for £70, but maybe off the mark. Holiday improved with that in our pocket. I was 16, so 57 years ago.
Worse haul was 3 hinds, a stag and a spiker off the Wairarapa coast side of Otuahome Station, to Tinui, between 3 of us. I can still feel the relief of sighting the Commer Cob in the dusk. We’d shot them at 9 am in the morning

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Originally Posted by hebe

You ever thought about writing a book @Tahr ? I’d certainly buy it.

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The elephant in the room. Waiting for some one to say this.

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Originally Posted by SF90

Yep - Poronui :)

And I don't know if Joe Collins rings a bell or not ................. ?

And yep - it does ring a bell - and I don't know why ?

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Sold to Fletchers for forestry.

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Originally Posted by TeRei

The elephant in the room. Waiting for some one to say this.

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He doesn't have to answer. Theres a few members on here I could ask the same question. I didn’t intend to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

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Originally Posted by TeRei

Sold to Fletchers for forestry.

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Bugger me - didn't know that ........... cheers

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Originally Posted by hebe

You ever thought about writing a book @Tahr ? I’d certainly buy it.

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Im flattered to think that anyone would be interested, but nah, thats not me really. When I left the farm after 20 years I got into academic stuff and uni lecturing so Ive pretty much had my fill of writing and researching. I enjoy jotting stuff down here though.

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Originally Posted by TeRei

The elephant in the room. Waiting for some one to say this.

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Everyone should write a story on their life, including family history, for their children and grandkids. So many things to tell them and it’s too late once your gone,

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Originally Posted by Tahr

Im flattered to think that anyone would be interested, but nah, thats not me really. When I left the farm after 20 years I got into academic stuff and uni lecturing so Ive pretty much had my fill of writing and researching. I enjoy jotting stuff down here though.

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I'll write it... I'll interview you. Well, we can go stay in a hut somewhere and hunt morning and evening. Spend the heat of the day and the cold of night with you regaling me with your yarns. I'll write a1st person book and you can edit it.

I reckon we'd have a finished product in about 7yrs time - Craig can bankroll the publishing.

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Originally Posted by Tahr

Im flattered to think that anyone would be interested, but nah, thats not me really. When I left the farm after 20 years I got into academic stuff and uni lecturing so Ive pretty much had my fill of writing and researching. I enjoy jotting stuff down here though.

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And we are immensely grateful of your jotting down Bruce. Long may it continue.

Great stories amongst this thread fellas. I'm almost a generation out from those early meat hunting days and used to listen to stories from a couple of uncles about the adventures. When I started, there was still a bit going on but I shot to feed myself & family, nothing spare to sell as the deer numbers hadn't recovered by then.

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Originally Posted by Tahr

Im flattered to think that anyone would be interested, but nah, thats not me really. When I left the farm after 20 years I got into academic stuff and uni lecturing so Ive pretty much had my fill of writing and researching. I enjoy jotting stuff down here though.

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Your manuscript will qualify as a suitable submission for your PH.d. The Forum members can vet it and vouch for authenticity. Everyone would be happy to throw in a few footnotes for added gravitas. Take up the challenge .

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

- we run up to three conventional balers peak time - they do both hay and silage wrap - I should add I work for a large contractor with up to 35 drivers in a big day and we can do 1000 acres in a good day - we do a lot of little square wrap bales and can sell all we do - we do 100,000 rounds a year- wrap silage and hay - thousands of tons of silage with loader wagons trailers and trucks into pit silage - who would do it today - well Dec 3 I turned 70 - what did I do - 16 hours in the tractor - dumb - but Zoe and I can go out for dinner every now and then instead of chicken -

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Many yrs ago i started carting hay in my school holidays,13yrs old then,my first summer holidays was payed in pounds.Use to get up to 28pds for the long week,days were 6am till 10pm if the weather was good.Had about 150 pds in the bank by the time school holidays finished.Did 8 summer holidays carting hay,last four yrs of that was when i was doing my carpentry apprenticeship.Had enough money to put a deposit on the section im living on today.Those hay carting days were good,keeped you fit and strong and xtra money in the bank.A4 bedford truck could take 125 bales,with about 20 trucks just carting hay,gangs of 3.There use to be some big hay stacks built out the back of Temuka on the Moores and McCully farms.Temuka transport still ticking over today.

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Originally Posted by TeRei

Your manuscript will qualify as a suitable submission for your PH.d. The Forum members can vet it and vouch for authenticity. Everyone would be happy to throw in a few footnotes for added gravitas. Take up the challenge .

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All this time, and now your humility and sense of humour shines through.

And I thought that you were just a one trick Targex and Barnes junkie. Shame on me :)

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Originally Posted by Trout

Many yrs ago i started carting hay in my school holidays,13yrs old then,my first summer holidays was payed in pounds.Use to get up to 28pds for the long week,days were 6am till 10pm if the weather was good.Had about 150 pds in the bank by the time school holidays finished.Did 8 summer holidays carting hay,last four yrs of that was when i was doing my carpentry apprenticeship.Had enough money to put a deposit on the section im living on today.Those hay carting days were good,keeped you fit and strong and xtra money in the bank.A4 bedford truck could take 125 bales,with about 20 trucks just carting hay,gangs of 3.There use to be some big hay stacks built out the back of Temuka on the Moores and McCully farms.Temuka transport still ticking over today.

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Respect. Thats the thing isn't it. On here no one knows anything about anyone. We just make assumptions on the here and now statements. Tells us nothing.

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Originally Posted by Trout

Many yrs ago i started carting hay in my school holidays,13yrs old then,my first summer holidays was payed in pounds.Use to get up to 28pds for the long week,days were 6am till 10pm if the weather was good.Had about 150 pds in the bank by the time school holidays finished.Did 8 summer holidays carting hay,last four yrs of that was when i was doing my carpentry apprenticeship.Had enough money to put a deposit on the section im living on today.Those hay carting days were good,keeped you fit and strong and xtra money in the bank.A4 bedford truck could take 125 bales,with about 20 trucks just carting hay,gangs of 3.There use to be some big hay stacks built out the back of Temuka on the Moores and McCully farms.Temuka transport still ticking over today.

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That's amazingly good money, and bloody long hours - I never did anything like that. I worked my holidays at the Silverstream Hospital looking after 'old gentlemen' who'd been parked there. Started there when I was fourteen and worked all my holidays there until I started full time work at 17. That was in a laboratory and the pay for a forty hour week was 7 quid ($14).
Got no idea what I earned at Silverstream, but I was happy - it gave me pocket money and was a job I enjoyed :)

That hospital had been built by the American's for their servicemen who were training here during the war - it was a pretty big place.

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Originally Posted by hebe

You ever thought about writing a book @Tahr ? I’d certainly buy it.

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Iv never read a full book in my life,read lots of hunting and fishing mags.Id probley buy a hunting book written by Tahr tho,Be a bloody good read as long as it had lots of photos,i like photos.:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by SF90

That's amazingly good money, and bloody long hours - I never did anything like that. I worked my holidays at the Silverstream Hospital looking after 'old gentlemen' who'd been parked there. Started there when I was fourteen and worked all my holidays there until I started full time work at 17. That was in a laboratory and the pay for a forty hour week was 7 quid ($14).
Got no idea what I earned at Silverstream, but I was happy - it gave me pocket money and was a job I enjoyed :)

That hospital had been built by the American's for their servicemen who were training here during the war - it was a pretty big place.

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My uncle was in Silverstream, he served overseas in WW11 and as a driver, his truck was struck and the fire melted his foot, boot and all, he was dragged from the truck ok, but had severe foot damage.
Later in life he had his legs amputated. He died in Silverstream from memory.

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Originally Posted by Maca49

My uncle was in Silverstream, he served overseas in WW11 and as a driver, his truck was struck and the fire melted his foot, boot and all, he was dragged from the truck ok, but had severe foot damage.
Later in life he had his legs amputated. He died in Silverstream from memory.

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I looked after a lot of those dudes - some so old their tattoos had faded and melted and couldn't be see for what they were any more. Many were war vets and they were there because they couldn't look after themselves any more .......... and 'home' couldn't deal with them anymore - or didn't want them.
They were almost all disabled in some way, some couldn't speak nor feed themselves - we looked after them as though they were 'babies' - yet they all had massive dignity, and that just shone through them.

The day would start with getting them up in the morning, you got them out of bed, cleaned up the shit (if there was), put them in a dressing gown and in their wheelchair and then rushed them down to the shitter where they shat and pissed on the floor - then we hosed it off. It sounds crude and horrible, but there was a bunch of us all doing the same thing and there was real humour in it - no one got embarrassed.
Then we'd collect urine samples and do the diabetes test, then shower them which was a two man job - then give them breakfast and settle them down in the 'sun room' - they all had their favourite places in there and that had to be adhered too or it caused friction.
Then you'd go back and make the beds and get some breakfast yourself.

On Sunday's we'd 'dress 'em up' in case they got visitors and they got two biscuits with their cup of tea. I don't remember any of them getting visitors .......... and that affected me for years - it was like they'd been thrown away.

It was one of the most physically demanding jobs I've ever had - I was fourteen and had to manhandle blokes twice my size and weight ...... and sometimed I got it wrong. We were dressed in 'whites' and our shoes (white) had a hard 'clicketty clack' sole. One morning I was swinging my man out of bed to get him in his wheelchair and he started 'whaling' on me with his fists and elbows. By the time I got him in the chair I had a bleeding nose and the beginning of a black eye ........... I'd been standing on his toes and he showed me his displeasure in the only way he could.

Over the three years I was there several of them died, mostly didn't wake up - and sometimes I'd be a bit shy to approach the bed because some of them looked pretty dead - but weren't. The relief when they weren't was pretty big .........
The nurses in the men's ward were all male and down in the womens wards they were female - except they were often short staffed down there and I always got the short straw and ended being sent down and helping out.
Was like walking into a chicken factory when you went through the door into the ward - old women never ever stop talking. And they never liked the biscuit they got given - and they'd shit the bed ten minutes after they shit it the time before so they could get attention. Cleaning up an old woman was no joy, I'd get groped and the nurses found it hilarious - then I'd have to change uniform as I been groped with a shitty hand.
The 'old women' liked me down there - I was the only male in the place.

I've never forgotten that job - I got to love those old blokes and sometimes I'd be there when they pumped them out before they got taken away - it was a chance to say goodbye and the ward nurses would pop in and touch them before going back to work.
Those nurses were something else too - I never heard a harsh word nor saw harsh treatment - they absolutely cared for those blokes - and I've never forgotten that.

:)

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Originally Posted by SF90

I looked after a lot of those dudes - some so old their tattoos had faded and melted and couldn't be see for what they were any more. Many were war vets and they were there because they couldn't look after themselves any more .......... and 'home' couldn't deal with them anymore - or didn't want them.
They were almost all disabled in some way, some couldn't speak nor feed themselves - we looked after them as though they were 'babies' - yet they all had massive dignity, and that just shone through them.

The day would start with getting them up in the morning, you got them out of bed, cleaned up the shit (if there was), put them in a dressing gown and in their wheelchair and then rushed them down to the shitter where they shat and pissed on the floor - then we hosed it off. It sounds crude and horrible, but there was a bunch of us all doing the same thing and there was real humour in it - no one got embarrassed.
Then we'd collect urine samples and do the diabetes test, then shower them which was a two man job - then give them breakfast and settle them down in the 'sun room' - they all had their favourite places in there and that had to be adhered too or it caused friction.
Then you'd go back and make the beds and get some breakfast yourself.

On Sunday's we'd 'dress 'em up' in case they got visitors and they got two biscuits with their cup of tea. I don't remember any of them getting visitors .......... and that affected me for years - it was like they'd been thrown away.

It was one of the most physically demanding jobs I've ever had - I was fourteen and had to manhandle blokes twice my size and weight ...... and sometimed I got it wrong. We were dressed in 'whites' and our shoes (white) had a hard 'clicketty clack' sole. One morning I was swinging my man out of bed to get him in his wheelchair and he started 'whaling' on me with his fists and elbows. By the time I got him in the chair I had a bleeding nose and the beginning of a black eye ........... I'd been standing on his toes and he showed me his displeasure in the only way he could.

Over the three years I was there several of them died, mostly didn't wake up - and sometimes I'd be a bit shy to approach the bed because some of them looked pretty dead - but weren't. The relief when they weren't was pretty big .........
The nurses in the men's ward were all male and down in the womens wards they were female - except they were often short staffed down there and I always got the short straw and ended being sent down and helping out.
Was like walking into a chicken factory when you went through the door into the ward - old women never ever stop talking. And they never liked the biscuit they got given - and they'd shit the bed ten minutes after they shit it the time before so they could get attention. Cleaning up an old woman was no joy, I'd get groped and the nurses found it hilarious - then I'd have to change uniform as I been groped with a shitty hand.
The 'old women' liked me down there - I was the only male in the place.

I've never forgotten that job - I got to love those old blokes and sometimes I'd be there when they pumped them out before they got taken away - it was a chance to say goodbye and the ward nurses would pop in and touch them before going back to work.
Those nurses were something else too - I never heard a harsh word nor saw harsh treatment - they absolutely cared for those blokes - and I've never forgotten that.

:)

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that's fucken awesome mate.

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Originally Posted by Trout

Many yrs ago i started carting hay in my school holidays,13yrs old then,my first summer holidays was payed in pounds.Use to get up to 28pds for the long week,days were 6am till 10pm if the weather was good.Had about 150 pds in the bank by the time school holidays finished.Did 8 summer holidays carting hay,last four yrs of that was when i was doing my carpentry apprenticeship.Had enough money to put a deposit on the section im living on today.Those hay carting days were good,keeped you fit and strong and xtra money in the bank.A4 bedford truck could take 125 bales,with about 20 trucks just carting hay,gangs of 3.There use to be some big hay stacks built out the back of Temuka on the Moores and McCully farms.Temuka transport still ticking over today.

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We did 6 tier high normally on an S Bedford. Clatter clatter of the ground drive as the bales came up. We once did 13 tier high on a Farmers Transport truck at the back of the Awatoto fert works in Napier.[now an industrial park]The driver wondered why it was taking so long to load. Stopped the truck and had heart attack. Blew his stack [excuse pun] then asked us to take a few tier off. Eventually he saw the joke. 17 years old and crazy as hell.

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Originally Posted by ANTSMAN

that's fucken awesome mate.

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Yeah - had a lot of jobs since, but that just might have been the most satisfying :)

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Originally Posted by TeRei

We did 6 tier high normally on an S Bedford. Clatter clatter of the ground drive as the bales came up. We once did 13 tier high on a Farmers Transport truck at the back of the Awatoto fert works in Napier.[now an industrial park]The driver wondered why it was taking so long to load. Stopped the truck and had heart attack. Blew his stack [excuse pun] then asked us to take a few tier off. Eventually he saw the joke. 17 years old and crazy as hell.

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We never had a elevator,one guy on the ground picking up,one on deck stacking and one driving.Rotate on every load from paddock to stack.4 tier high,2 across =5th tier,then 1 row on top from front to back of the load=125.If i had light enough bales i could balance bale on my hands at fall reach and flick it on top of the 4th tier.We sometimes got to use a S Bedford R tick,bloody long deck that could take a lot of hay.Had a etin diff.On some late evenings trying to get home in a hurry,driver could get 75mph out of it empty.It could corner so fast with its long deck.

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Originally Posted by SF90

Yeah - had a lot of jobs since, but that just might have been the most satisfying :)

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Hi SF90,you should do a nursing degree.You got a good heart for the patients.:thumbsup:

:D:D:D:D

You do realise he's older than you Trout!

Relating to SF90's experience, my mums in a home in a pretty similar situation. See her most weeks, but the conversation is tapering off, as you can see the ideas swimming about in her eyes, but she just cant put the words together much more.

The nurses these days are almost all Philippina, and do stirling work always with a smile. As I walk the corridors around to mums room, all spare spaces in all the corridors are chokka to the ceiling with boxes and boxes of adult diapers...and the place has 'that' smell:(

The hay making lark was a good wee earner as a teen. Did it at age 16-17-18 over the xmas holidays. A school mate's dad ran a small ag contracting business out of Rongotea, and we all worked for him. The smart ones of us got our heavy trade as soon after we got our car licences at age 15, as we could. That way we could get a spell from lifting bales and drive the Bedfords.

The worst job was always filling the top couple of tiers of bales under the roof of a hay shed. At 5pm it must have been hovering close to 40 degrees under there:omg:

I worked in a foundary for the August school holidays, and got put on an assembly line for those tow behind concrete mixers made by AF Martin. 15 years old and Mig welding for a job!. I have no idea how many of mine fell to pieces being towed behind a truck:pacman: Went back to school and told my mates I was earning $6/hr, and they said "No, $6/day, and I showed them my brown paper pay packet with the week's total written on it and they were most impressed.

But a cast iron foundary is one dirty dirty place to work. One of the 'lifer' fitter and turners was on a lathe every time I worked there, over three School holidays...always turning cast iron. He was head to toe dirty, covered in blackheads and turned up each morning looking just like he had left the day before:omg: Old guy (30 something), still living with his mum:oh noes:

Well if we are both feeling young,thats all that matters.:beer:

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Originally Posted by Trout

Hi SF90,you should do a nursing degree.You got a good heart for the patients.:thumbsup:

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Ha, ha, ha - XR500 nailed it, I'm getting to the end where it wont be long before I'm one of those old 'gentleman'.

I've actually had a remarkably good life, don't think I'd change any of it.

And having said that I'm wondering if I've become like a 'woman' who has forgotten the pain of childbirth .................. the human survival system.

Nah - it's been good :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Trout

We never had a elevator,one guy on the ground picking up,one on deck stacking and one driving.Rotate on every load from paddock to stack.4 tier high,2 across =5th tier,then 1 row on top from front to back of the load=125.If i had light enough bales i could balance bale on my hands at fall reach and flick it on top of the 4th tier.We sometimes got to use a S Bedford R tick,bloody long deck that could take a lot of hay.Had a etin diff.On some late evenings trying to get home in a hurry,driver could get 75mph out of it empty.It could corner so fast with its long deck.

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You would go from farm to farm and they became such a blur. The drinks in the front footwell were always hot from the motor. Who cared. So long as it was wet. Did hay on Eland Station on the Napier Taupo road. All covered in barns. Came out at the end of the day looking like a Pakistani. Jim Beere the manager shouted all these school boys a crate of cold DB. Never had a beer taste so sweet.

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Originally Posted by Tahr

Im flattered to think that anyone would be interested, but nah, thats not me really. When I left the farm after 20 years I got into academic stuff and uni lecturing so Ive pretty much had my fill of writing and researching. I enjoy jotting stuff down here though.

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It would be cathartic for you to add all your jottings together . That would mean all your writing talent would see fruit . You could become the Resident Writer in the Haurangi's until the manuscript is finished. 2 chapters a week and the jobs done. You owe it to you whanau as well.

About once a week a small farmer(500 bales=4-5hrs work for 3)might bring out morning tea.Hot flasks of tea,scones,biscuts and sandwiches.They went down a treat as you were so hungry.They treated you like kings.

More old pics from the meat days...

Puketois

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Tararua head

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Kaimanawas

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Ruahines

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Waewaepas with the old 303's. This was skin hunting.

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Puketois

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Puketois

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Ruahines

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Puketois

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Ruahines

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Ruahines

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Fire lighting a 400 acre scrub block on the farm

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Ruahines glassing up the Pari stream

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Puketois

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Kaimanawas

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excellent pics @Tahr , can def see you're Craigs papa!

Very interesting Bruce, I meat hunted the Whirinaki area for a while in the mid 70s after culling for the NZFS. Have to say those were some of the best years of my life. We didn’t make heaps but enjoyed life, .60 cents a pound when I sold my first deer then it went up to a dollar plus a pound. Mostly used a Sako 243 over that period great rifle wish I still had it.After I got married I used to sell all the deer I shot as it was a good earner asRabbit Board pay wasn’t the beast back then. I never had a good camera back then which was a shame as I missed out on a lot of good photos and memories being recorded, since 1980 when I bought a decent camera I have photos of all the animals I have shot bar one. When the mind starts to fade I hope the photos will refresh my memory. It was a great era to be hunting in that’s for sure.

Great thread, i grew up, a touch late for the meat hunting, but Dad was a culler, bridge builder and hut builder for NZFS, so lots intresting yarns when his work mates were about,
I too, carted hay with an old bedford with a 1.5 m extension to the deck, bulls and Marton area, 6 high took us to just over 200, 240 with a double row to tie in the top if paddocks were roungh, had to stand on the side loader and biff up over head, sure was fit, 10 g hay the first summer, with a neighbour son who started contracting,
.75 .80c a bale, depending on distance from base, and cart distance, i got .10 cents, increased to .12c the second summer.
Hated pea straw as it would scratch the hell out of you legs,

Shot my first deer up the Ruahines, with a NZFS .222 sako, age 15